Dear Friends and Colleagues from Around the World, The highlight of this month was a personal note from the editor of ELAND Press in London, “Dear Mark, You have done Moritz proud!” This is in response to the essay they published in their newsletter, which they followed up with three ELAND books as a token of their appreciation. In Culture Watch, I’ll share a personal story about the growing efforts to ban books by school boards here in Arizona. Amongst all the craziness, a sense of humor is a must, so I’ve included Just Keep Laughing, My Writing, Interviews […]
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The Iguana Killer: 12 Stories of the Heart, by Alberto Rivero Rios, Reviewed by Mark D. Walker
I met Alberto Rios at the Desert Nights Writers Conference at ASU in Tempe several years ago and was impressed by his literary acumen as well as his insights into the Hispanic community. I told him about my connections and interests in Latino culture and asked about participating in his literary interview show, Books & Co., which he hosted for eight years on PBS. He currently hosts an arts interview show “Art in the 48.” He was named Arizona’s first poet laureate in 2013, a post he still holds. I decided to start with one of his best-known books, […]
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